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The RedHawks fell behind early, battled back, and eventually won 5-4 in walk-off fashion with the late inning heroics of Frank Salerno.

On Tuesday night the RedHawks began a three game series with the reigning American Association champion Wichita Wingnuts in front of 2,954 fans at Newman Outdoor Field with Tyler Herron taking the hill. Herron was solid for the first three innings, but he found trouble in the fourth frame. The right hander faced a bases loaded full of Wingnuts with one down, and Manager Doug Simunic went with hard throwing lefty Mike Mason in the fourth inning.

Mason was the last pitcher the RedHawks would call to the bullpen for, because he was stellar. Mason earned the win (1-0) by going 5.1 innings with no runs allowed while he struck out five.

After Mason got the RedHawks out of the fourth, they made their push. Gartrell hammered a leadoff double off the right field wall and Michael Antonio drove him in. Joe Staley then walked bringing Zach Penprase to the dish. With runners on second and third, Penprase clubbed his second double of the night, this time scoring two runs making it a 4-3 game.

Mozingo would later have a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning scoring Zach Penprase tying the game at four runs apiece.

Wingnuts starter Omar Bencomo had a solid outing, going five innings pitched, giving up three earned runs while striking out five. David Espinosa and Brent Dean each went 2-for-5 from the plate with one run scored.

With Mason taking care of things on the mound, it was up to the 7-8-9 hitters in the order to get things started for Fargo-Moorhead in the bottom of the ninth.. Valerio and Penprase both reached on singles to left when Chad Mozingo grounded into a fielder's choice putting runners at the corner for Frank Salerno. With two outs and an 0-2 count facing Wingnuts' reliever Brad Mincey, Salerno knocked a single up the middle scoring Valerio giving the RedHawks a 5-4 comeback walk-off victory. Manager Doug Simunic remarked after the win, “We just ham and egged it. We are starting to pick it up a little bit. We are starting to feel it.”

With the win the RedHawks have won four of their last five and improve to 4-8 while Wichita drops one and is now 7-3. Mike Mason earns the win for the RedHawks while Brad Mincey takes the loss for the Wingnuts. The two teams will return Wednesday night at 7:02 p.m for game two of the three game series.